Chapter Thirty-Five

Abernathy’s POV

My beast and I felt the magic of the gilded gift when it came to us. The late King Sebastian had tried to prepare me for what would happen when Sophia came of age, then it didn’t happen, so I assumed the old man had been crazy and thought nothing more of it, as convincing as he had been.

There have been stories of the royal family’s golden eyed protectors for generations. My own Grandfather claimed to have been one of King Lucian’s Gilded Guards before he met my grandmother. His tall tales amused every pup around the campfire when the rest of the pack went on hunts, and I always wanted to believe him, but everyone knew they were just urban legends.

I can still picture the deep creases around eyes that had seen everything and then some, if his stories were to be believed. My dear old grandad was a crotchety son of a bitch, except for nights like the Yule hunt. The Yule hunt before I tuned eighteen was the last time I sat with the other unshifted wolves and listened to h